P-plater panicked and ute flipped

by r33irby

Ross Irby
Reporter
Reporter Ross Irby has wander-lust mixed with a sense of adventure, spending way too many years roaming about Australia, its back roads and off-shore foreign lands.
Enjoys a yarn, story telling and tales, along with curiosity to find out about the lives and (mis)adventures of others.
An off-beat sense of humour, not taking it all too seriously, along with big doses of flexibility/adaptability whatever the situation is the best way to go.
You have to have the life experiences to have empathy...

IT ALL went pear-shaped for Jason Sydney Mace when the P-plated drink-driver drove past a stop sign on Shakespeare St.

He failed to stop for police then lost control of his red Ford Courier, which flipped on to its side, crunching two parked vehicles.

The hapless driver, who was driving his employer's van while unlicensed, has had one stroke of good fortune.

Instead of being fined $5500 for failing to stop when requested by police (or serve 50 days in jail), Mace will do unpaid community service work.

Mace, 20, pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to five charges: driving over the no-alcohol limit, not having proper control of his vehicle, driving unlicensed, failing to stop at a stop line, and failing to stop.

Prosecutor Constable Duncan Erskine said police followed Mace at 10.30pm on December 1 and used the vehicle's flashing lights but Mace appeared to speed up before losing control. The van flipped on its side, damaging two parked cars before righting itself on it its wheels with two flat tyres.

A breath analysis gave an alcohol reading of 0.45. (Legal alcohol limit is zero for provisional drivers).

Restitution of $1000 was sought by the owners of the damaged vehicles. Mace's now former boss had not known he was unlicensed.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan told Magistrate Ross Risson that Mace was now unemployed and it made sense that instead of fines he should impose a fine option order and make him do community service.

"He knew he was doing the wrong thing driving with no licence. So he panicked when he saw police. It was silly, stupid," Mr McLennan said.

Mr Risson said Mace had done the wrong thing by his former employer, and drinking alcohol had aggravated the situation.

Mr Risson ordered Mace to complete 200 hours of community service, with an extra 42 hours on the other offences. He was disqualified for two years.